Seamless tube forming and drawing machine



e. NESHEFF 1,962,323

.SEAMLESS TUBE FORMING AND DRAWING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 12, 1934.

Filed Aug. 17, 1932 FIG. 2.

FIG. 1 4

Inventor June 12, 1934. NESHEFF 1,962,323

SEAMLESS TUBE FORMING AND DRAWING MACHINE Filed Aug. 17, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE George Neshefi Application August 17,

4 Claims.

In my attempt to afford more economical means in the manufacturing of seamless tubes I am restoring to the use of molten material thereby eliminating various stages "of the present methods and means such as shaping, reheating and reshaping, and lessening considerably the initial, fixed, operating and the waste costs of seamless tube manufacturing.

My, invention relates to the improvements in seamless tube forming and drawing machines in which molten material is used, and the objects of my improvement are, first; to provide a continuous uniform flow of molten material at any required rate, second; to afford a gradual progressive solidifying and forming of the molten material into a tube, and, third; to secure a continuous uniform movement of the solidified part of the .tube at the rate of solidifying and releasing the desired tube length. I attain these objects by a machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings: Sheet No. 1 and Sheet No. 2. Sheet No. 1 illustrates the uniform flow control mechanism in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the mechanism as it appears after the removal of one half of the ladle cover; Fig. 2, a vertical section on the line 2-2 showing the front of the mechanism; Fig. 3, a vertical section thru the entire mechanism on the line 3-3 showing the ladle filled up to the flow line of its outlet; Fig. 4, a section thru the pivot, ladle, ladle support, cradle and the frame on the line 4-4, and Fig. 5, a side view on the line 5-5 showing the ladle at its topmost tilted position.

Sheet No. 2 illustrates the tube forming and drawing mechanism in which- Fig. 6 is a combination of a vertical view with a half section at the center line of the mechanism; Fig. '7, a partial vertical section thru the frame and the ball and socket connection of the connecting link on the line 7-7; Fig. 8, a horizontal section on the line 8-8 showing the mechanism pedestal, frame, refractory die chest and the forming and drawing die with the cooling gas inlets and outlets; Fig. 9, avertical section on the line 9-9 illustrating the tube forming anddrawing die and the tube pulling and releasing mechanism; Fig. 10, a top View of the plunger operating mechanism and the plunger frame; and Fig. 11, an enlarged partial view of the mesh-release attachment at the point of meshing with the rack tooth of the tube pulling attachment.

Similar letters on each sheet represent similar parts throughout the various views.

, Cleveland, Ohio 1932, Serial No. 629,173

A ladle A, integral with hook-eye supports C and an outlet Ae and provided with plates D to receive a cover plate E lined with a refractory F, said ladle lined with a refractory B and so constructed that the shape or form of the maximum net available space for molten material up to the ladle flow line Ad, Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, is a cylindrical sector bound by and between two identical parallel circular sectors and the perpendicular axispassing thru the arc centers of the said circular sectors coincides with the said flow line Ad. The above described ladle rests on the arms of a cradle G, Fig. 4, and kept in place by means of blocks J and dowels I secured to the cradle arms to prevent sliding when the cradle reaches its topmost position as per Fig. 5.

Both arms of the cradle G are provided with openings to receive pivots X which upon projecting thru the cradle arms project thru the frame legs L, frame brace M and keyed to it, and with reduced diameters thru washers N to receive nuts Y so that the cradle may oscillate on the pivots and about the common axis of the pivots X which axis coincides with the ladle flow line Ad, while to therib reinforced cylinder wall of the said cradle G by means of bolts K a gear H is secured to mesh with a driving pinion 0 keyed to an intermediary shaft P. The ladle A thru the cradle G is held in its loading position by means of a stop Aa secured by brackets Z to the frame legs L. Projecting thru the rear frame legs L- and brace M the shaft P has keyed to it two drums Q, a friction brake drum Ab and a gear T which by means of clutch U may mesh either with'a driving pinion V or with an identical idler Ac both mounted on the same motor driven speed reducer shaft W. Starting the driving shaft W at a desired speed and shifting the pinion V in mesh with the gear T by means with the clutch U and thru P, O, H, K and G the ladle A turns uniformly up about the axis of the pivots X, which is also the ladle fiow line Ad, and for each and every unit of time an equal volume of an equal cylindrical sector of molten material flows over the flow line Ad, which constitutes the principle of the uniform flow control mechanism. When required to stop the ladle A in any desired position the speed reducer is stopped and the friction brake is applied-while starting the speed reducer and releasing the friction brake Ab, Fig. 1, the ladle A is set in upward motion and assisted by means of two counterweights R fastened to the drums Q by ropes S thereby saving power. To bring the ladle A from its topmost tilted position, seeFig. 5, to its normal loading position,

' as in Fig. 3, the idlergear Ac is shifted in mesh with the gear H by means of the clutch U and the ladle A is set moving downwardly and retarded by the previously referred to counterweights R, or by the brake Ab. Bolted to a pedestal or base b by bolts c, Fig. 6, is a frame a which by means of an expansion bearing 1 and a bearing e receives,- centers and guides a cylindrical split hollow plunger consisting of a lower half plunger j projecting with its reduced, tapered downwardly ahd closed lower end thru the center of a refractory die chest 2, a tube forming die s and partly th'rua tube cap ac and with its upper flanged end bolted by jg to the flanged end of an upper half plungerg which upon projecting thru the bearing e has .its thickness increased to receive multiple threads to match the female threads of aflanged nut h bolted by bolts 2 to the frame a after which a lever :i is keyed to it. A heat insulated cooling gas piper with several rows of small holes for a short distance from the closed lower end is projecting thru the center of the plunger 9 to a short distance from the closed end of the plunger 1. The space around and between the drilled end of the pipe 1 and the plunger 1 constitutes a plunger cooling jacket which exhausts .into the plunger g.

Inserted'in a split ball socket formed by a flanged shell n bolted by means of screws 0, see Fig. 7 and Fig. 10, to a connecting link m and both projecting thru the link m one ball pin is projects thru the lever a to receive a nut Z while the other ball pin is projects thru and is bolted to a crank 12 which in turn is keyed to a driving shaft q. Changing the length of the crank p or the lever 7' the angle of oscillation of the leverj changes as well as'the stroke length of the plunger f,. therefore providing an adjustment for the stroke length of the plunger f. The ball and socket joints of the connecting link m afford a flexible drive required by the oscillating and the up and down motion of the lever a. When this mechanism is operated a back and forwardmovement is imparted to the plunger g and during the partial rotation the plunger g is also moved up and down, due to its screw threaded mounting in the collar 72., fixed on the top of the frame a.

In Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the tube forming die is so constructed that-its bottom end extends into a flange bolted by means of bolts t to the pedestal 2); its inside cylinder, Fig. 9, at the bottom end is provided with an increased counterbore to receive and center the tube cap aa, previously referred to, provided with a few .inside threads or grooves, two opposite parallel slots and a circular opening fora sliding projection of the lower half plunger); its top end is a hollow cylinder upon which is fitted a hollow cylindrical refractory die chest 2 which has a pocket with two sloping and opposite grooved and curved outlets pp discharging molten material around the moving plunger f, see Fig. 8; and its outside cylinder, extending up to and around the die chest z, has around the lower half equally spaced and faced openings ,qq to receive the flanged outlets of the assembled cooling gas pipe bends u, each of which is provided with a floor supporting flange, and around the upper I die half also equally spaced and faced openings rr, staggered in relation to those of pipe bends u, to receive the flanged inlets of'the assembled exhaust gas bends '0, each of which is provided with a floor supporting flange. The inclosed space by and between the inside and the outside cylinders and the top and the bottom ends of the tube forming die s constitutes the die cooling jacket. Before starting the uniform flow control mechanism the side cylinder of the forming 'die 8, which shapes the outside surface of the new tube, and the plunger 1, which shapes the inside of the new tube, are heated to a desired degree, then by means of the tube cap aa heated and coupled by sliding with a tube puller attachment bb inserted and held in place against the bottom of the inside cylinder of the forming die s while the rack teethss of the puller bb are in position to engage the larger teeth tt of a mesh-release attachment mm bolted to an attachment 1m when roller chains 2'2 are set in motion.

The uniform flow control mechanism upon being loaded is started and set to delivera uniform volume of molten material at the predetermined rate of solidifying the same volume of material by the forming die s. From the outlet of the uniform flow control mechanism, see Fig. 3, the molten'material flows thru a chute :clined with a refractory 1.1, see Fig. 9, and the die chest .2 with its pocket and outlets previously described,

.in the space between the plunger and the inwith the tube cap or; the level of the molten material rises uniformly while the upward uniform flow of cooling gas in the jackets previously described causes a gradual solidifying of the material into a new tube 00, see Fig. 6, from the tube cap upward, and the plunger ,1 by its combined oscillating and up and down motion and by beingtapered downwardly is pressing and shaping the new tube against the inside cylinder wall of the forming die s. At a definite time when the molten material in the forming cylinder of the forming die .s rises about threefourths of the maximum allowable level for the said die cylinder and the tube portion in and for a short distance above the tube cap an. is solidified then the tube pulling mechanism is set in motion at the predetermined rate of solidi- 120 The pulling mechanism consists of two parallel mesh with roller chains ii driven by sprocket .wheels ff thru hubs gy keyed on shafts hh. Each of the moving chains ii is provided with the two equally spaced chain link attachments 1m, see Fig. 9, bolted with the mesh-release attachments mm, see Fig. 11, the larger teeth of said meshrelease attachments mesh or engage with the opposite rack teeth tt of the tube pulling attachment bb as previously described.

By means of the threaded or grooved grip of the tube cap aa. the new tube is drawn and pulled'down uniformly until the uniform flow control mechanism is. stopped, the top end of I the new tube clears the lower end of the plunger f, the tube pulling attachment bb is in contact with a landing plate 7'7 secured on a spring kk supported by a base plate 11 and the shorter teeth of the attachment mm, Fig. 9, release the rack teeth of the pulling attachment bb; While the new tube upon landing is being removed, a tube cap aa coupled with a tube pulling attachment bb is immediately inserted at the bottom of the inside cylinder of the forming and drawing die s in readiness for the next tube.

It is to be understood that the above specification covers the fundamental and the main features' in the simplest 'form and that for the aeaasas purpose of illustrating the machine operation some mechanisms or parts are used without claiming the same.

I claim: V

1. In a tube forming and drawing mechanism the combination of a base and a frame secured thereto, a forming and drawing die fastened to said base and centrally thereof and provided with a refractory die chest, 9. plunger mounted in said frame and in alignment with said forming and drawing die, said plunger being capable of a back and forward rotary movement and a vertically reciprocating movement, means for imparting a rotary. and vertically reciprocating movement to said plunger, tube pulling and releasing mechanism below and in line with said forming and drawing die, a cooling jacket surrounding the forming and drawing die, means for actuating the pulling and releasing mechanism and means for cooling said plunger.

2. In a tube forming and drawing mechanism, the combination of a base and aframe secured thereto, a forming and drawing die mounted in said frame, a plunger extending into said .forming and drawing die and spaced from the walls thereof to form a metal receiving space, a tube cap movably supported so that in its initial position it will close the lower end of the metal receiving space and form a connection with the metal in said space, said cap being adapted to receive the lower end of said plunger, an endless chain arranged-at each side bf said cap and provided with means for engagement with said cap and drawing the same downwardly and means for supporting and actuating said chains.

- 3. In a tube forming and drawing mechanism, the combination of a base and a frame secured thereto, a forming and drawing die mounted in said frame, a plunger extending into said forming and drawing die and spaced from the walls thereof to form a metal receiving space, means for raising and lowering said plunger and means for alternately rotating said plunger oniits up and down movement to compact the metal in the metal receiving space. I

4. In a tube forming and drawing mechanism, the combination of a base and a frame supported thereon, a forming and drawing die mounted in said frame, said frame at its upper end having an opening in alignment with the forming and drawing die, a flanged nut secured on said frame above said opening, the bore of said nut being concentric with the bore of the forming and drawing die, a plunger extending downwardly through said nut and into said forming and drawing die, said plunger having a fixed collar externally screw threaded for engagement with the threads of said flanged nut and means for imparting a backward and forward rotary movement to said plunger so as to cause the collar on said plunger to screw in and out of said nut and produce an upward and downward movement of said plunger.

GEORGE NESI-IEF'F. 

